Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS)

About Us

Information for

Information for Mothers

What is PRAMS?

Minnesota PRAMS is a project to help us learn why some babies are born healthy and others are not. One out of every 40 women who give birth each month in Minnesota is selected, at random, to participate in the PRAMS survey. Selected mothers are sent a survey. The survey is available in both English and Spanish. The survey asks questions about a mother´s behaviors and experiences before, during and shortly after pregnancy.

Why is PRAMS important?

Each year in Minnesota, hundreds of babies are born with serious health problems and some of these babies do not survive. Many things in a mother´s life and pregnancy may affect her health and the health of her unborn child. We ask questions to gain an understanding of things that occurred during the mother´s pregnancy and shortly after she gave birth. Each mother´s experience is unique to her. Thus, we need each mother to answer the questions. With this information, we can work to improve the health of all mothers and babies in Minnesota.

African American and American Indian Mothers

In Minnesota, there are disparities in health outcomes for some populations. American Indian and U.S. born African American mothers have some of the largest maternal and infant health disparities. Minnesota PRAMS sends out additional surveys to these mothers to obtain more information on their pregnancy experiences. Minnesota PRAMS surveys approximately one out of every seven (1/7) U.S. born African American mothers and one out of every three (1/3) American Indian mothers that had a live birth.